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Annotated Checklist of the Fishes of the Rio Grande Drainage, Doña Ana, El
Paso, and Hudspeth Counties
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Carl S. Lieb, Laboratory for Environmental Biology, Centennial
Museum, University of Texas at El Paso
This list of species includes all the historically occurring taxa that
are now apparently extirpated from the region, as well as the upper Rio Grande forms
that come as far south as Elephant Butte Reservoir in Sierra County. The latter may
disperse considerable distances downstream as rare migrants or waifs. The list is based
on Laboratory for Environmental Biology specimens and the literature given in the
References section. This file also is obtainable in pdf form.
CLASS OSTEICHTHYES
Order Lepisosteiformes
Family Lepisosteidae
Lepisosteus osseus—Longnose Gar
- (A population occurs in the canyon of the Rio Grande that lies between the
Eagle/Indio Mountains in Hudspeth County and the Sierra de Pilares of Chihuahua)
Order Anguilliformes—Eels
Family Angillidae
Anguilla rostrata—American Eel
- (Eastern U.S. species introduced in Colorado, with apparently migrants downstream
to Caballo/Elephant Butte reservoirs; waif dispersal southwards is possible)
Order Clupeiformes
Family Clupeidae
Dorosoma cepedianum—Gizzard Shad
Dorosoma petense—Threadfin Shad
- (introduced into Rio Grande system, not abundant)
Order Salmoniformes
Family Salmonidae
Onchorhynchus mykiss [Salmo gairdneri]—Rainbow Trout
- (local populations of stocked fish may occur as water conditions permit)
Family Esocidae
Esox lucius—Northern Pike
- (introduced in northern New Mexico, present at Elephant Butte Reservoir; waif
dispersal further south possible)
Order Charciformes
Family Characidae
Astyanax mexicanus—Mexican Tetra
- (not taken after 1950 in Dona Ana Co., group 2 endangered in NM; status in El
Paso-Hudspeth counties unknown, but probably extirpated there as well)
Family Serrasalmidae
cf. Colossoma macroponum—"Pacu"
- (aquarium fish apparently feral in Rio Grande and associated waters; apparently
responsible for local "piranha-in-the-Rio-Grande" stories)
Order Cypriniformes
Family Cyprinidae
Carassius auratus—Goldfish
- (Asian species widely used as an aquarium fish; individuals may be found locally as
releases from captivity, but no breeding populations are known in the Rio Grande
proper
Ctenopharyngodon idella—Grass Carp
- (Asian species introduced into U.S. to control excess aquatic vegetation; locally
present but not abundant)
Cyprinella [Notropis] lutrensis—Red Shiner
- (native, locally abundant)
Cyprinus carpio—Common Carp
- (introduced from Asia to the U.S. in 1800's; very abundant)
Extrarius [Hypobsis] aestivalis—Speckled Chub
- (native, but apparently extirpated from the Rio Grande of New Mexico; status in El
Paso/Hudspeth counties unknown but probably absent from here as well)
Gila pandora—Rio Grande Chub
- (native fish, primarily known from upper Rio Grande of New Mexico; once recorded
from Elephant Butte prior to 1970; not recorded from Texas)
Hybognathus amarus—Rio Grande Silvery Minnow
- (native fish, at present restricted to north-central Rio Grande of New Mexico; not
collected in Dona Ana Co. since 1950; group 2 endangered in NM; recorded from Big Bend
region of Rio Grande of Texas, but not from El Paso/Hudspeth counties)
Notemigonus crysoleucas—Golden Shiner
- (Eastern U.S. species, a "bait bucket" introduction, extirpated since ca.
1980 from the Rio Grande drainage)
Notropis jemezanus—Rio Grande Shiner
- (a native fish of the lower Rio Grande of Texas; not taken in Rio Grande of New
Mexico since 1950; endangered in Texas)
Notropis orca—Phantom Shiner
- (native fish to Rio Grande drainage, but even though extirpated in NM, last
specimen taken in 1975, it is still listed as group 1 endangered in NM; considered
conspecific with N. simus by Texas wildlife regulations)
Notropis simus—Bluntnose Shiner
- (native fish in upper Rio Grande, but not taken seen in New Mexico since 1950,
considered group 1 endangered in NM; endangered in Texas)
Pimephales promelas—Fathead Minnow
- (widespread temperate North American species, but in Rio Grande drainage found
mostly north of Elephant Butte in New Mexico and Presidio County southwards in Texas;
not taken since 1970 in Sierra County, and so far unreported from Dona Ana/El
Paso/Hudspeth counties, where it is replaced by the next species)
Pimephales vigilax—Bullhead Minnow
- (East-central U.S. species transplanted to our region, now the most abundant minnow
in Dona Ana/El Paso/Hudspeth counties)
Rhinicthys cataractae—Longnose Dace
- (a fish associated with cooler waters of north-temperate North America that rarely
disperses from the upper Rio Grande of New Mexico to El Paso County)
Family Catostomidae
Carpiodes carpio—River Carpsucker
- (an abundant native fish in the Rio Grande drainage)
Catostomus commersoni—White Sucker
- (a north-temperate and boreal North American species, with populations in the
Northern Rio Grande; southernmost population at Elephant Butte Reservoir, and may be
subject to rare dispersal downstream)
Ictiobus bubalus—Smallmouth Buffalo
- (a fish of the Mississippi drainage, but with native populations in the upper and
lower Rio Grande; apparently not abundant)
Ictiobus niger—Black Buffalo
- (a native fish of the lower Rio Grande, possibly occurring as far north as Hudspeth
County; not reported from New Mexico)
Order Siluriformes
Family Ictaluridae
Ameiurus (Ictalurus) melas—Black Bullhead
- (historically introduced in northern Rio Grande, possibly persisting in northern
Sierra County; not at present known from Dona Ana County; status in El Paso/Hudspeth
counties unknown, but unlikely to occur there)
Ameiurus (Ictalurus) natalis—Yellow Bullhead
- (eastern U.S. species introduced before 1950 in Dona Ana and Sierra counties, has
spread to El Paso County and Hudspeth County)
Ictalurus furcatus—Blue Catfish
- (introduced Elephant Butte/Caballo area of NM; native in Rio Grande from Hudspeth
County south; local status unknown)
Ictalurus punctatus—Channel Catfish
- (central U.S. species introduced into Rio Grande drainage, where it is now most
abundant local catfish)
Pylodictis olivaris—Flathead Catfish
- (native species of the Rio Grande that may persist in the canyons of southern
Hudspeth County, but is apparently extirpated elsewhere in the region)
Order Cyprinodontiformes
Family Poeciliidae
Gambusia affinis—Mosquitofish
- (native to lower Rio Grande, and now the most abundant fish in area; used widely
for biological control of mosquitoes)
Poecilia (Mollienesia) latipinna—Sailfin Molly
- (aquarium trade species; feral in lower Rio Grande and may appear locally)
Order Perciformes
Family Percichthyidae
Morone chrysops—White Bass
- (introduced, or possibly native, in Rio Grande; locally abundant, especially in
reservoirs)
Morone saxatilis—Striped Bass
- (primarily a marine and estuarine species; tolerance of high salinity has resulted
in wide introductions in Texas; in New Mexico, known from Elephant Butte/Caballo
reservoirs only; status in Dona Ana/El Paso/Hudspeth area unknown)
Family Centrarchidae
Ambloplites rupestris—Rock Bass
- (Eastern U.S. species introduced into Elephant Butte & Caballo reservoirs
before 1950, but now extirpated from Rio Grande)
Lepomis (Chaenobryttus) cyanellus—Green Sunfish
- (native species, locally abundant)
Lepomis (Chaenobryttus) gulosus—Warmouth
- (introduced Eastern U.S. species, chiefly persisting at Elephant Butte Reservoir in
Sierra County)
Lepomis macrochirus—Bluegill
- (native to Rio Grande; can be locally abundant)
Lepomis megalotis—Longear Sunfish
- (introduced in lower Rio Grande, less abundant than other sunfishes)
Micropterus dolomieui—Smallmouth Bass
- (introduced and apparently persisting at Elephant Butte/Caballo reservoirs in
Sierra County; could be occasionally found downstream)
Micropterus salmoides—Largemouth Bass
- (introduced in Rio Grande, locally abundant)
Pomoxis annularis—White Crappie
- (Eastern U.S. species introduced in Rio Grande, apparently not abundant and/or
declining)
Pomoxis nigromaculatus—Black Crappie
- (introduced Eastern U.S. species, principally surviving at Elephant Butte/Caballo
reservoirs in Sierra Co. and thus might rarely occur downstream)
Family Percidae
Perca flavescens—Yellow Perch
- (introduced before 1950 in New Mexico, persisting at Elephant Butte/Caballo
reservoirs only)
Stizostedion vitreum—Walleye
- (introduced in Elephant Butte/Caballo reservoirs; reported dispersal as far south
as Dona Ana and El Paso counties)
References
Bestgen, Kevin R., and S. P. Platania. 1988. The ichthyofauna and
aquatic habitats of the Rio Grande from the New Mexico-Texas border to Big Bend
National Park. Report submitted to Region 2, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of
Endangered Species, Albuquerque, NM, iv + 55 pp.
Chaney, Allan H. 1990. Keys to the Vertebrates of Texas (Exclusive of
Birds). Texas A&I University, Kingsville, 99 p.
Fries, Lorraine Thomas. 1987. Trophic and morphological relationships
of a middle Rio Grande fish community. Unpublished M.S. Thesis, Univ. Texas at El
Paso.
Lee, David S. et al., 1980 et seq. Atlas of North American Freshwater
Fishes. North Carolina Biol. Survey Pub. 1980-12:x + 854 p.
Page, Lawrence M., and Brooks M. Burr. 1991. A Field Guide to
Freshwater Fishes. Hougton Miffling Co., Boston, xii + 432 p.
Sublette, James E., MIchael D. Hatch, and Mary Sublette. 1990. The
Fishes of New Mexico. Univ. New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, xiii + plates + 393 p.
Date of Last Update: 14 March 2000.